My first attempt at dehydrating…..

  I received my dehydrator and Friday and decided I would get going on dehydrating some stuff.  I decided to start with apples because I figured apples are easy, and it is what Genavieve requested.

I decided to not go all the way to crisp because I knew she wouldn’t like that.  I think they turned out amazing, and the best part was I also tossed in a peach and nectarine that I wasn’t sure were going to be good for very much longer.  Here are some of them in a bowl, but most of them got gobbled up right away.

I also decided to try making jerky.  I had a pork tenderloin, and found a recipe in the dehydrator book.  I followed the directions, and quite frankly it was gross when it was all done.  They were done, and they were the correct consistency, but I just didn’t like the flavor at all.  I decided that the only thing I am going to do from this point forward is beef because the pork was just so gross.  I did not toss them however, I am giving them to the dogs as treats.  They have no clue, and they love them.  Lola can’t get enough!!!

My table came late last night so Brad put it together for me and we set it up downstairs.  I simply don’t have enough room upstairs for the dehydrator and freeze dryer (when it comes).  I am really hoping that the basement turns out to be the right spot for it.  As soon as the table was done, Brad put my dehydrator down there, and I took all of my supplies that I bought so far and put those in the tool box I bought for him.  For Father’s Day I bought him a toolbox that I thought he wanted, and it turned out to be the wrong one.  Little did I know he wanted a cheaper and crappier one….oh well…..his loss and my gain.  

I also bought a camera stand that will follow me as I move around and do stuff. My goal is to make a youtube channel and video tape some of my adventures to share with people especially since I am just an every day person with zero experience.  I think it is good to see every day people versus the perfect, made up, gorgeous people who every knows are making scripted videos.  Plus I want to keep a record of my journey going from every day mom to hopefully someone who is doing more homesteader type things: garden, dehydrating, canning, freeze drying…..making more homemade foods, etc.  

Right now, I have bananas and marshmallows in the dehydrator.  They have been going for about four hours, and it says it should only need to go for about 6 hours, but I can guarantee it will need to go longer than that.  There is no way those things will be done in two hours.  


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